Treatment of textile materials



March 3, 1936. w. I. TAYLOR 2,032,603

I TREATMENT OF TEXTILE MATERIALS Filed Nov. 16, 1932 Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TREATMENT OF TEXTILE MATERIALS Application November 16, 1932, Serial No. 642,868 In Great Britain November 23, 1931 Claims.

This invention relates to treatment of textile materials and in particular to methods and appliances for applying liquids to textile filaments, yarns, threads or like materials. The object of 5 the invention is to apply liquids to such materials in a controlled manner, especially in large or relatively large quantities.

In the dry spinning of cellulose acetate or other artificial filaments having a basis of cellulose derivatives or in other textile operations on similar artificial materials, liquids such as oils or water have been applied to threads of the artificial filaments by passing the threads over awick carried by a suitable support and having its end depending into a container for the liquid. With such a device, capillary attraction is relied upon to carry the liquid from the container to the threads, and therefore the amount of liquid which can be applied in this way is limited in quantity and cannot be increased to any material extent. Even if two or more such wicks are employed in series comparatively little increase is effected in the amount of liquid applied to the threads.

If, however, a wick or the like is arranged continuously to present a new surface to the thread, e. g. by carrying a wick or fabric strip on the surface of a continuously or intermittently moving disc or roller, an increased amount of liquid may be applied to the thread, but such adjustments do not give an accurate control over the quantity of liquid thus applied to the thread. The present invention is concerned with an apparatus for applying liquids which gives effective control by supplying a regulated quantity of liquid to the wick or pad which transfers the liquid to the thread.

According to the invention, absorbent material such as a wick or pad is so mounted that a thread can be drawn across it and the liquid to be applied is supplied under pressure. By the supply of the liquid under pressure a much greater quantity of liquid can be given up by the wick or pad to the thread than could be applied if capillary action alone were relied upon. At the same time, the advantages ordinarily obtaining from the use of wicks or pads are retained, the liquid being applied evenly along the length of the thread and the thread not being liable to damage which is particularly important in the case of relatively frail artificial filaments.

The wick or pad may be mounted in any convenient manner in a tube or container which is connected to the source of supply of the liquid under pressure. The wick or pad is enclosed,

except for a gap in which the thread makes contact with the wick or pad and through which the liquid is forced to pass. According to one form of device a fiat wick is employed which is doubled over a bar carried at the mouth of the tube or container, and the wick is enclosed by means of a cap or hood fitting over the mouth. A slot is provided in the cap or hood to enable the thread to make contact with the wick, all the liquid supplied under pressure being forced to pass through the portion of the wick exposed by the slot, and therefore to be absorbed by the thread.

In another form of apparatus, a tube is provided with a closure at its upper end and contains a cylindrical pad or length of circular wick.

A narrow slot is provided across the closure in the end of the tube and a pad or wick is pressed behind this slot by means of a spring. The tube is fed as before under pressure.

For the application of liquid to the thread at M a uniform rate, the wick or pad is supplied with liquid at a constant rate under uniform pressure, and, since the liquid can only escape by the slot, the thread is forced to take up all the liquid and so receives a uniform amount corresponding to the amount supplied.

The supply of liquid may be effected from a container supplied with the liquid and arranged with a suitable head above the point of delivery, i. e. above the point of contact of the thread with the wick or pad. Alternatively, the forced supply may be effected by the use of suitable pressure means such as a pump. For example, a gear pump or other pump adapted to deliver a steady quantity of liquid may be employed to force the liquid to the point of use. Such a pump may be fed from a single reservoir and may serve one or more headers supplying any number of liquid applying devices.

The device according to the invention may be used for applying liquids of any desired character to the threads or other materials. For example, it may be used to apply oils, water, de-

' electrifying materials, sizes, dyes, resists, molten waxes or other liquids to threads of artificial filaments continuously with their production, especially by the dry or evaporative method, which threads, after receiving the liquid, may be wound in any suitable manner, for example by cap-spinning or other twisting and winding devices, or by simple winding apparatus, such as drum winders with reciprocating or other traverse means to produce cross-wound packages, or bobbin winding apparatus with or without means for cross winding, or by means of reels or swifts.

A similar device may be used for application of the liquids to threads in any other winding or twisting and winding operation, or continuously with the consumption of the thread in apparatus such as knitting machines, and especially seamless hose or other circular knitting machines. A further application of the device is its use for applying liquids to weft yarn for looms having stationary weft supplies, that is supplies which do not pass through the shed.

By means of the device according to the invention quite large quantities of liquid can be applied to threads, quantities which may range from about 10 or 15% to 80 or 85% or more based on the weight of the thread, being capable of control by suitable adjustment of the supply pressure, the nature of the material of the wick or pad, the size of the opening through which the thread makes contact with the wick or pad, and, in some cases, the prevailing temperature. It is to be noted, however, that where the thread in being twistedor wound is caused to balloon rapidly round the take-up package, as in capor ringspinning, for example, such amounts of liquid should not be applied as will permitthe centrifugal action of the balloon to throw ofi any liquid. Thus, for example, the device maybearranged to apply about 10-45% of olive oil to threads of cellulose acetate whichare proceeding to a capspinning device continuously with their production by the dry or evaporative method without any excess being driven off by the ballooning of the threads.

When no such ballooning takes place, for example when the threads are being simply wound, as on cheeses or swifts, much larger quantities of liquid can be safely applied if required.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawing but it is to be understood that this description is given by way of example only and is in no respect limitative.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of the apparatus according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of Fig. 1 in side elevation;

Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevational of an alternative feature of the apparatus according to the invention;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional elevation of a detail of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is a plan of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an. enlarged cross sectional elevation of an alternative detail of Fig. 1; and

Fig. '7 is an elevation view of a further form of apparatus according to the invention.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, filaments 8 extruded from a jet 9 situated within a dry-spinning cabinet II] are led in the form of a thread beneath a guide I2 and are drawn from the cabinet through an aperture l3 by a godet roller M from which the thread H is taken to a winding or twisting and winding device (not shown).

.Supported on brackets IS on the outer wall I6 of the cabinet I0 is a reservoir containing liquid to be applied to the threads II, and supplied as required from a source controlled by a valve l8 situated above the reservoir. A conduit l9 leading from the base of the reservoir supplies the liquid to a header 20 from which depends a series of outlet pipes 2|, each of which is equipped with a valve 22 by which the outward flow of liquid may be regulated to any desired degree, or may be stopped completely. Situated beneath each outlet pipe 2| a series of hellmouthed U-tubes 23 is mounted so as to catch and retain liquid ejected from the outlet pipes 2|. The limbs of the U-tubes 23 are not of equal length, the shorter limbs 24 terminating some distance below the level of the bell-mouth of the longer limb. The short tubes 24 bear at their extremities wick devices, alternative forms of which are illustrated in detail in Figs. 4 and 6.

The wick device according to Fig. 4 comprises a cylindrical wall 33 adapted to form a reservoir 3| in the centre of which is a standard 32 terminating at its upper extremity in a head 33, and at its lower extremity in an arch, so as not to obstruct the liquid supply to the reservoir 3| from the tube 24 through the fine tubular passage 25. A flat wick 34 is doubled over the head 33 and is fed with liquid from the reservoir 3|. The wick 34 is maintained in close contact with the head 33 of the standard 32 by a cap 35 which fits tightly over the bight of the wick. Conveniently the cap 35 is removable so as to allow of easy and quick access to the wick 34 for cleaning or renewing purposes.

In the assembled unit the cap 35 is tightened down over the wick and on to a washer 38 by means of a screwed collar 36 which engages with a threaded portion of the cylindrical wall thus making the lower part, of the unit liquid-tight. The cap has a groove 31 cut across its apex, the groove being of suchdepth as to expose a small part of the upper surface of the bight of the wick 5 34. The wick unit is so arranged with respect to the aperture 3 of the spinning cabinet ID that the thread emerging from the cabinet and proceeding on its way to the godet roller |4 passes through the groove, which is slightly above the direct line of the thread between the guide I2 and the roller l4 and thus. retains the running thread within its sides and in contact with the wick 34.

Any number of threads may be treated simultaneously, there being one complete applying unit for each thread. Thus, the several threads produced in a spinning machine may be treated continuously with their production, one main reservoir and header being adapted to serve any number of liquid applying devices.

In Fig. 6 the wick device comprises a reservoir 40 adapted to house a spiral spring 4| restrained at 42 and urging upwardly a washer 43 bearing a slotted thimble-like member 44 which has a hollow apex. Supported by the member 44 is a thimble-shaped porous pad 45 which is fed with liquid from the reservoir 40, which in turn is fed from the short limb 24 of the U-tube 23 through the fine tubular passage 25. A cap 46 fits tightly over the pad 45 which is thus held in position against the member 44 and against the thrust of the spring 4|. The cap 46, as in the previous illustration, is pierced and grooved at 49 at its apex so as to engage the thread II and is tightened down over the pad 45 by means of a collar 48 in the manner explained with reference to Fig. 4.

In operation, a constant level of liquid indicated by a dotted line (Fig. 1) is maintained within the main reservoir ll by means of the inlet valve I8 and an overflow pipe 50 which is adapted to direct excess liquid to a drain 5|. Constant pressure upon the liquid within the header 2|! is thus maintained and causes steady and constant drip or flow through the pipes 2| to the U-tubes 23. A head of liquid is maintained within the long limbs of the U-tubes 23, the pressure from which forces a constant supply of liquid to the reservoirs of the wick devices and so forces the liquid through the wicks and causes it to be applied to the threads at the same rate at which it is supplied from the drip tubes 2|.

The adjustment of the valves 22 depends upon the head required within the U-tubes 23, thus, if a relatively small amount of liquid is to be forced into the threads a small head within the U-tubes is required and the drip or flow from the pipes 2i will be sufficient only to maintain such a head at its required level. It will thus be seen that by reason of the two constant heads of liquid, firstly within the main reservoir I1 and secondly within the U-tubes 23 a constant pressure is maintained within the reservoirs 3|, which causes a constant supply of liquid to be applied to the threads.

A further means of controlling the amount of liquid discharged from the header 20 through the pipes 2| and to the liquid-applying devices comprises a series of calibrated plugs 52 (Fig. 3) screwed into the pipes 2| from which the parts bearing the Valves 22 are removed. The plugs 52 reduce the pressure of the liquid leaving the pipes 2| and consequently the rate of drip or fiow of the liquid.

Fig. 7 shows a form of apparatus adapted to supply liquid direct from a pump to the applying devices.

The reservoir 53 contains liquid to be applied to the threads and supplies a conduit 54 leading to a gear-pump 55 which forces the liquid along a header 56 and upwardly through outlet pipes 51. A filter may be inserted in the conduit 54 and/or in the header 56 to remove any particles of solid impurity contained in the liquid. Each outlet pipe 51 bears at its upper extremity a wick device of the type illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6 at such height as to engage the threads to which the liquid is to be applied. The outlet pipes 5'! may be equipped with regulating Valves 58 or may have calibrated plugs 59 screwed into them as desired. A main valve 60, situated between the conduit 54 and the pump 55 allows the flow of liquid to the header 56 to be cut off when the apparatus is not in use.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for the treatment of textile materials with liquids comprising in combination an absorbent body, means for supplying liquid under pressure to said body, means for regulating the flow thereto of said liquid, and a substantially impervious cap enclosing said absorbent body so as to limit the escape of liquid therefrom, said cap having therein a small aperture through which contact may be established between said absorbent body and a travelling thread or yarn.

2. Apparatus for the treatment of textile materials with liquids comprising in combination an absorbent body, means for supplying liquid under a gravity head to said body, means for regulating the flow thereto of said liquid, and a substantially impervious cap enclosing said absorbent body so as to limit the escape of liquid therefrom, said cap having therein a small aperture through which contact may be established between said absorbent body and a travelling thread or yarn.

3. Apparatus for the treatment of textile matebody, means for regulating the flow thereto of said liquid, and a substantially impervious cap enclosing said absorbent body so as to limit the escape of liquid therefrom, said cap having therein a small aperture through which contact may be established between said absorbent body and a travelling thread or yarn.

4. Apparatus for the treatment of textile materials with liquids comprising in combination an absorbent body, a. U-tube having a short limb supporting said absorbent body, and a long limb adapted to maintain a head of liquid for supplying the absorbent body with liquid under pressure, and a substantially impervious cap enclosing said absorbent body so as to limit the escape of liquid therefrom, said cap having therein a small aperture through which contact may be established between said absorbent body and a travelling thread or yarn.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, said apparatus comprising means for supplying the long limb of the U-tube with liquid at a controlled rate.

WILLIAM IVAN TAYLOR. 

